Hands-on: Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0

Another Tablet Screen Size.

Samsung is fond of introducing unconventional screen sizes for its mobile devices, and it is no surprise that the Korean company launched an 8-inch version of its popular line of Galaxy Note devices. Known as the Galaxy Note 8.0, what features does it has? Is it just another Galaxy Note device with a different screen size? Read on to find out more. Before you do so, here's a quick look at its specs: -

Design and Handling

The design language of the Galaxy Note 8.0 remains largely similar to the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy Note 10.1 - plastic chassis with rounded corners. While it is important to maintain a standard design across its portfolio of mobile devices, we had expected Samsung to take a leap of faith to come up with something different.

Due to the use of plastic, the Galaxy Note 8.0 lacks the premium and solid feel of better built devices such as the Apple iPad mini. Nonetheless, it is considered quite lightweight at 338g and measures 7.95mm thin. To put things into perspective, here's a quick comparison with the Apple iPad mini and Toshiba Regza Tablet AT270:

Apple iPad mini (Wi-Fi + 4G): 312g, 7.2mm

Toshiba Regza Tablet AT270 (3G): 350g, 7.85mm

It is noteworthy to mention that the Galaxy Note 8.0 is designed to be held in one hand and navigated using another. This is evident in the size of the bezel around the screen, and the physical dimensions of the device itself.

Software

The Galaxy Note 8.0 runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and Samsung TouchWiz's user interface. Do expect the same suite of TouchWiz features such as Smart Stay, Air View and Popup Video on the 8-inch device.

As tablet users generally read on their devices, Samsung has preloaded a special feature called Reading mode on the Galaxy Note 8.0. It is stated to automatically optimize the display resolution for a better reading experience.

Synthetic Benchmarks and Imaging Test

We managed to run two benchmarks and captured an image using the rear camera of the Galaxy Note 8.0. As the unit on display is likely to be a prototype, the device's performance may vary from the final retail unit.

During our hands-on with the Galaxy Note 8.0, we found the navigation to be slightly smoother than the Galaxy Note II we were using. It is possible that the final retail unit will even be smoother after Samsung irons out any software bugs and issues.

Comparison shots with the Apple iPad mini

It is not hard to guess Samsung's strategy in introducing an 8-inch tablet in the market. Its most obvious target is the 7.9-inch Apple iPad mini. Hence, we decided to put the two bitter rivals side by side for comparison.

Accessories for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0

Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 will be available globally from Q2 2013. For now, let's take a look at the competition facing the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0: -